Lionel Richie has credited granddaughter HARLOW with bringing his family together, because she healed a long-running rift with his ex-wife BRENDA.The singer's daughter Nicole Richie gave birth to the tot last year (08), and Richie admits he was worried about becoming a grandpa - in case it effected his sex appeal. But the Dancing on the Ceiling hitmaker insists all fears were set aside when Harlow - nicknamed The Mouse - arrived, as she has helped work out his family's past problems. And it's his relationship with former wife Brenda Harvey, who divorced from the star in 1993 following allegations of infidelity, which has reaped the biggest benefit. He tells Ebony magazine, "First of all, your baby is going to have a baby. Second, what is this grandpa thing? "But then once Harlow showed up, you could call me grandpa so many times that I wouldn't care. You fall in love with The Mouse - I call her (Harlow) The Mouse. "It brings joy to the entire family. All of a sudden Brenda, Nicole's mum, and I are on the phone with the rest of the family. Because when The Mouse shows up, everybody drops whatever. (That) kind of erases all of the baggage."